Author details
Author United Nations Environment Programme
Linked authorities :
|
Available document(s)


![]()
![]()
Sustainable development 20 years on from the Earth Summit: progress, gaps and strategic guidelines for Latin America and the Caribbean
ECLAC, 2012This report describes the progress achieved in relation to sustainable development since 1992 and the gaps still remaining. It is divided into two parts: (i) of the main traits of development in Latin America and the Caribbean in the past 20 years, particularly those which touch upon economic, social and environmental aspects such as the reduction of exposure to disasters; and (ii) proposed guidelines for moving towards sustainable development in the region.
The guidelines recommend: (i) creating synergies among inclusion, social protection, human security, empowerment of peopl ...
Sustainable development 20 years on from the Earth Summit: progress, gaps and strategic guidelines for Latin America and the Caribbean
![]()
![]()
Available online: http://www.zeeli.pro.br/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/UN-CEPAL-2012-SD-20-Years-on- [...]
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean ; United Nations Environment Programme ; United Nations Development Programme ; United Nations Population Fund ; Food and Agriculture Organization (Rome, Italia) ; UN-Habitat ; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ; United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (Switzerland) ; Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights ; World Food Programme ; International Labour Organization (Geneva, Switzerland) ; World Tourism Organization ; United Nations Conference on Trade and Development ; United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification ; United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
Published by: ECLAC ; 2012This report describes the progress achieved in relation to sustainable development since 1992 and the gaps still remaining. It is divided into two parts: (i) of the main traits of development in Latin America and the Caribbean in the past 20 years, particularly those which touch upon economic, social and environmental aspects such as the reduction of exposure to disasters; and (ii) proposed guidelines for moving towards sustainable development in the region.
The guidelines recommend: (i) creating synergies among inclusion, social protection, human security, empowerment of people, disaster risk reduction (DRR) and environmental protection; (ii) measuring the sustainability of development; (iii) internalizing environmental, and social costs and benefits of public and private economic decisions; (iv) improving the coordination and consistency of public action in relation to sustainable development policies; (v) producing and disseminating statistics and information on the environment and sustainable development; (vi) formulating better policies based on a more informed, participatory process; and (vii) strengthening education, culture, science and technology in order to build human capital for sustainability.Language(s): English
Format: Digital (Free)Tags: Natural hazards ; Sustainable development ; Multi-hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS) ; Guide ; Latin America ; Caribbean ; Region IV - North America, Central America and the Caribbean
Add tag
No review, please log in to add yours !
![]()
![]()
From Transition to Transformation: Sustainable and Inclusive Development in Europe and Central Asia
UNDP, 2012"A report on sustainable development in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, prepared by 13 UN agencies, has highlighted the need for the region to remove fossil fuel subsidies, invest in green jobs, and establish social protection floors in order to ensure a sustainable future."
Source: iisd.org
![]()
Available online: http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/Environment%20and%20Energy/From%20T [...]
United Nations Development Programme ; United Nations Environment Programme ; United Nations Industrial Development Organization ; International Labour Organization (Geneva, Switzerland) ; World Health Organization (Geneva, Switzerland) ; Food and Agriculture Organization (Rome, Italia) ; United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (Switzerland) ; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Published by: UNDP ; 2012"A report on sustainable development in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, prepared by 13 UN agencies, has highlighted the need for the region to remove fossil fuel subsidies, invest in green jobs, and establish social protection floors in order to ensure a sustainable future."
Source: iisd.orgLanguage(s): English
Format: Digital (Free)Tags: Environment and landscape ; Gender ; Sustainable development ; Green economy ; Region VI - Europe ; Region II - Asia ; Central Asia
Add tag
No review, please log in to add yours !
![]()
![]()
The Drying of Iran's Lake Urmia and its Environmental Consequences
UNEP, 2012Lake Urmia in the northwestern corner of Iran is one of the largest permanent hypersaline lakes in the world and the largest lake in the Middle East (1,2,3). It extends as much as 140 km from north to south and is as wide as 85 km east to west during high water periods (4). The lake was declared a Wetland of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention in 1971 and designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1976 (5,6). The lake itself is home to a unique brine shrimp species, Artemia urmiana, and along with the surrounding wetlands and upland habitat, it supports many species of reptiles, am ...
![]()
Available online: http://na.unep.net/geas/getUNEPPageWithArticleIDScript.php?article_id=79
Published by: UNEP ; 2012
Lake Urmia in the northwestern corner of Iran is one of the largest permanent hypersaline lakes in the world and the largest lake in the Middle East (1,2,3). It extends as much as 140 km from north to south and is as wide as 85 km east to west during high water periods (4). The lake was declared a Wetland of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention in 1971 and designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1976 (5,6). The lake itself is home to a unique brine shrimp species, Artemia urmiana, and along with the surrounding wetlands and upland habitat, it supports many species of reptiles, amphibians and mammals. Lake Urmia provides very important seasonal habitat for many species of migrating birds. Around 200 species of birds have been documented on and surrounding the lake including pelicans, egrets, ducks, and flamingos (7). The watershed of the lake is an important agricultural region with a population of around 6.4 million people; an estimated 76 million people live within a radius of 500 km (8).
Language(s): English
Format: Digital (Free)Tags: Environment and landscape ; Climate change ; Iran, Islamic Republic of
Add tag
No review, please log in to add yours !
![]()
![]()
A Glass Half Empty: regions at Risk Due to Groundwater Depletion
UNEP, 2012The tiny fraction of freshwater not bound up in ice sheets and glaciers comprises only a very small fraction of total global water volume (about 0.79 %) (1). Global use of that freshwater, however, has been growing at roughly twice the rate of global population for the past century (2,3) (Figure 1). Even so, this volume of unfrozen freshwater is still more than adequate to meet all human needs. However, this essential resource, which is mostly stored as groundwater, is distributed quite unevenly around the globe. Furthermore, physical and economic constraints make it impractical in most cases ...
![]()
Available online: http://na.unep.net/geas/getUNEPPageWithArticleIDScript.php?article_id=76
Published by: UNEP ; 2012
The tiny fraction of freshwater not bound up in ice sheets and glaciers comprises only a very small fraction of total global water volume (about 0.79 %) (1). Global use of that freshwater, however, has been growing at roughly twice the rate of global population for the past century (2,3) (Figure 1). Even so, this volume of unfrozen freshwater is still more than adequate to meet all human needs. However, this essential resource, which is mostly stored as groundwater, is distributed quite unevenly around the globe. Furthermore, physical and economic constraints make it impractical in most cases to move great volumes of water from areas of surplus to areas of need (4). Therefore regional scarcity has become a serious and growing problem, as rapidly growing populations in many areas rely on regional water supplies which are being depleted, degraded, and divided among more and more users (4). Alarmingly, aquifers in some of the world's major agricultural regions, including China, India and the United States — all of them crucial to the food security of 100s of millions of people — are being exploited unsustainably...
Notes: Thematic Focus: Ecosystem Management and Resource Efficiency
Language(s): English
Format: Digital (Free)Tags: Water ; Groundwater ; Water accessibility
Add tag
No review, please log in to add yours !
![]()
Available online: http://na.unep.net/siouxfalls/publications/Early_Warning.pdf
Veronica Grasso ; Ashbindu Singh ; Janak Pathak ; United Nations Environment Programme
Published by: UNEP ; 2012Language(s): English
Format: Digital (Free)ISBN (or other code): 978-92-807-3263-4
Tags: Disaster Risk Management (DRM) ; Early warning systems ; Tropical cyclone ; Drought ; Earthquake ; Flood ; Landslide ; Tsunami ; Volcanic Eruption ; Wildfire
Add tag
No review, please log in to add yours !
Permalink![]()
![]()
![]()
Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2010 - Executive summary (GORMP 52)
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); et al. - WMO, 2011It has been recognized since the 1970s that a number of compounds emitted by human activities deplete stratospheric ozone. The montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone layer was adopted in 1987 to protect global ozone and, consequently, protect life from increased ultraviolet (UV) radiation at Earth’s surface. Chlorine- and brominecontaining substances that are controlled by the montreal Protocol are known as ozone-depleting substances (ODSs).
ODSs are responsible for the depletion of stratospheric ozone observed in polar regions (for example, the “ozone hole” above An ...
Permalink![]()
![]()
![]()
Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2010 (GORMP 52)
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); et al. - WMO, 2011It has been recognized since the 1970s that a number of compounds emitted by human activities deplete stratospheric ozone. The montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone layer was adopted in 1987 to protect global ozone and, consequently, protect life from increased ultraviolet (UV) radiation at Earth’s surface. Chlorine- and brominecontaining substances that are controlled by the montreal Protocol are known as ozone-depleting substances (ODSs).
ODSs are responsible for the depletion of stratospheric ozone observed in polar regions (for example, the “ozone hole” above An ...
Permalink![]()
![]()
![]()
Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion, 2010: Twenty Questions and Answers about the Ozone Layer: 2010 update (GORMP 52)
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); et al. - WMO, 2011To help maintain a broad understanding of the relationship between ozone depletion, ODSs, and the Montreal Protocol, this component of the Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 2010 presents 20 questions and answers about the often-complex science of ozone depletion. Most questions and answers are updates of those presented in previous Ozone Assessments, while others have been added or expanded to address newly emerging issues. The questions address the nature of atmospheric ozone, the chemicals that cause ozone depletion, how global and polar ozone depletion occur, the success of the Mont ...
Permalink![]()
![]()
![]()
Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation: summary for policymakers and technical summary
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ; Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) - IPCC, 2011
Permalink![]()
![]()
![]()
The bioenergy and water nexus
UNEP, 2011Bioenergy and water are inextricably linked. For the first time, this report examines in depth these interlinkages, highlights the risks and opportunities, and offers an outlook on ways to address them. It provides policymakers with scientific information to support informed strategies and policies. The report also points to the need for further research, filling data gaps, and the development of regionalized tools. Water quantity and quality are factors that determine the extent to which bioenergy can contribute to the overall energy mix. For example, in a world already facing water stress, l ...
Permalink![]()
![]()
![]()
Addressing Climate Change Challenges in Africa: a Practical Guide towards Sustainable Development
AMCEN, 2011In recognition of AMCEN’s mandate which includes guidance in respect of key issues related to multilateral environmental agreements, African governments requested that AMCEN should facilitate the provision of information to countries that would assist them towards translating available climate science and current international climate policies in their effort to move towards practical implementation in the context of sustainable development. This Guidebook has therefore been prepared towards this end and will inform on climate change matters including science, governance, technological, financ ...
Permalink![]()
![]()
![]()
Visions for change - recommandations for effective policies on sustainable lifestyles
UNEP, 2011This publication provides recommendations to develop efficient sustainable lifestyles policies and initiatives based on the Global Survey on Sustainable Lifestyles (GSSL). It is aimed at policy-makers and all relevant stakeholders on how best to help support the shift to sustainable lifestyles, for instance through effective communication and awareness-raising campaigns.
The survey, which involved 8,000 young urban adults from 20 different countries, points to three key dimensions of empowerment and creativity: new visions of progress, behavioural alternatives, as well as trust ...
Permalink![]()
![]()
![]()
Working towards a Balanced and Inclusive Green Economy: a United Nations System-wide Perspective
United Nations, 2011The EMG’s Issue Management Group on Green Economy was tasked to prepare a report to assess how the United Nations system could coherently support countries in transitioning to a green economy. The report is expected to facilitate a common understanding of the green economy approach and the measures required for the transition. The report is also envisioned to contribute to the preparatory process for the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD or Rio+20) where “the green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication” is one of the two themes ...
Permalink![]()
![]()
![]()
Towards a Green Economy: pathways to sustainable and poverty eradication (water chapter)
UNEP, 2011This chapter has three broad aims. First, it highlights the need for providing all households with sufficient and affordable access to clean water supplies as well as adequate sanitation. Second, it makes a case for early investment in water management and infrastructure, including ecological infrastructure. The potential to make greater use of biodiversity and ecosystem services in reducing water treatment costs and increasing productivity is emphasised. Third, the chapter provides guidance on the suite of governance arrangements and policy reforms, which, if implemented, can sustain and incr ...
Permalink